Legend of Zelda: The Hero Thief
by Hyruler
Summary: Link the so called "Master Thief" unwittingly unleashes the evil Ganondorf upon the world once again, and now it's his duty to step in for the Hero of time and save Hyrule. But can a man that has walked his whole life in the shadows step into the light?


Legend of Zelda: The Hero Thief

Chapter 1: Realization and Trickery

Crossing the vast fields of Hyrule, a town sat in the shadow of the moon, a large castle overlooking it's heavily guarded walls. The people of Hyrule Castle Town were all in a sound sleep. All, that is, save for the ruckus coming from one of the dignitary houses. From within the mansion's walls there were sounds of yelling and running. A blonde man with deep blue eyes ran through the halls, a goofy smile on his face. His body was garbed in green, a matching bandanna holding his hair back. Behind him, he was chased by the mansion's owner, a very thin man wearing a velvet robe. "Get back here you ruffian!" the man demanded. "Give me back my rupees!"

The man continued to run, the sound of gemstones shaking around in his side satchel as he ran. "Not gonna happen old man." he replied as he turned a corner. "I stole these fair and square."

As they ran, two guards joined the millionaire to try and catch the thief in green. He could feel himself slowing down, and turned another corner quickly. The three were hot on his trail. "Jeez you guys don't give up, I guess I'll have to take more drastic measures."

As he finished, he immediately turned toward a window, covering his face as he crashed through it. With a stylish flip, he landed on his feet, though not without a moderately painful groan, having fallen from the second floor. The three looked out the window at him before rushing toward the front door downstairs. The man stood up and arched his back, hearing a soft popping sound. "Man, still can't nail that landing." he told himself as the guards crashed through the front doors in a rush. "Oh right, the escaping thing."

Running toward the wall at top speed, he ran a couple of steps up the wall before grabbing onto the wall and flipping over it. The guards stopped, defeated, as the thief escaped with the money. The mysterious man in green continued on until he reached an alleyway, ducking in and sitting to catch his breath. Taking the satchel from his side, he dropped a handful of gemstones into his hand, beginning to count them. "...Three...Four...Five hundred! Sweet, another victory for Link the master thief."

With his treasure safe at his side, he made his way down the alley into a small hiding place, where a crude hideout had been built. Link the thief layed down in his hammock for a well deserved night of sleep, unaware he was being watched by dark forces.

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From a dark corner of Hyrule Castle Town, a group of men stood around an orb, watching as it reflected the exploits of the green thief. "Well gentlemen, what do you think?" asked one.

"He certainly has the qualities of the hero." replied another. "His pointed ears, his affinity to green. His appearance is scarily similar, are you sure he isn't a relative?"

The third shook his head. "Impossible, the hero of time bore no children of his own, he disappeared. Even so, there is no mistaking that his energy is the same as the hero's. I am sure he is the one who can open the door. All he needs is a nudge in the right direction."

A fourth man gave an evil smile, resting his hand against his hip as he twirled a dagger. "Just leave that to me, I have a feeling that we speak the same language."

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Hyrule Castle Town's East District was a sight most residents avoided, a place where crooks and thieves made their residency, the oldest area of Hyrule Castle Town. At one time, it was the prominent and most popular part of town, leading straight toward the castle. As time went on, however, the town grew and expanded, and the original path was closed off, a new path paved. Since then, the eastern district had gone steadily downhill. The district's major bar, the Skulltula's Nest, was as busy as it ever was, filling scoundrels with food and alcohol. Link, the self proclaimed "Master Thief," was sitting in a corner booth alone, enjoying his ill gotten meal. "Well you're certainly doing well for yourself, mind sharing a little of the wealth?" asked a friendly voice.

Looking up from his meal, he saw an old friend sitting down in the booth. "Of course, pull up a chair Neil."he told the man with a smile. "I can't say no to the man who taught me everything I know. Barkeep, another steak over here!"

Neil was a tall man, thin with short black hair. He was garbed in deep red cloth, a dagger sheathed at his thigh. "Young Link, all grown up and stealing for himself. You couldn't even hold a knife without cutting yourself the first time I met you."

Link took another bite of his steak, giving his friend a quick glare. "Yeah well what do you expect? I was just a kid. I mean, I'm not exactly a pro like you are, but at least now I can handle a blade."

Neil nodded, his own meal arriving at the table, eating as he talked. "Yeah, just a kid, but not anymore. When was your eighteenth birthday? Last week? You're the same age as the Hero of Time was."

Link looked quizzical as he picked up his drink, taking a deep gulp. "The Hero of Time? Don't tell me you believe that old wives' tale."

The black haired rogue shook his head, leaning in closer to his former apprentice. "Perhaps the story is myth, but the sword he left behind is not. I have reliable knowledge from a friend of mine that the sword used by the Hero of Time truly exists, and there are a number of clients lined up to purchase it for quite large sums. All you have to do is get into the sealed room."

Now Link was more suspicious than he was before, it was very out of character for Neil to let so much information spill for what seemed to be no reason. "And why tell me all this?" he asked.

Neil smiled and pulled a satchel from behind him, emptying the contents on the table. Sitting there on the table were three beautiful jewels held in golden frames. One was a single ruby, another a large emerald, and the third three sapphires held together. Each was about the size of Link's hand. He looked them over carefully, holding them up to the light. "If money's what you want, why not just sell these jewels, they've got great clarity and size, each one is probably a king's ransom."

Neil took the jewels back and set them in the satchel once again, setting it in his friend's hand. "These jewels are the keys Link, the keys to opening the door and getting the Blade of Evil's Bane, a sword worth more rupees than there are in all of Hyrule. Consider this a late birthday present, I want you to take these and find it, I can give you all the information you need. Just promise you won't forget about me once you get your money."

Link's suspicions were only rising as the conversation continued, but staring down at the satchel in his hand, his mind filled only with the thoughts of the infinite wealth it would lead him to. His greed got the best of him as he set the small bag in his pocket, looking up at his friend. "Tell me everything."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

It was late into the night, the moon casting shadows across the dilapidated buildings. Link walked his way through the deepest part of East District, the square that once held the path to the castle. Swinging his lantern around, he began looking for the landmarks, remembering what Neil had told him. _First, locate the Bazaar, it'll be near the east side of the square. _It didn't take long to find. The sign that was above the building had long since fallen, but the sign clearly read "Bazaar." _facing the Bazaar, turn left and start walking until you reach the Happy Mask Shop._ It was a long walk, but the shop stood right where it should, the sign was very faded, but the mask on it was clear enough. _There will be a pile of rubble on your right, you need to scale it. For a person as agile as you, it should be a simple task to do. _Sure enough, the rubble rose to the sky. Determined, Link began climbing, his flexibility and agility working to his advantage as he climbed up the rubble pile. Once he was at the top, he suffered a bit of acrophobia staring down the other side of the building. He took a careful step downward, but ended up slipping and sliding down the pile on a piece of rubble. With a loud crash and a skid across the grass, he ended up slamming his back into a broken gossip stone. "Owww...I'll have to be careful on the return trip." he told himself as he got up and rubbed his back.

Looking over, he saw the top of the steeple, the building he was looking for. _On the other side of the rubble pile you should find it, the Temple of Time. No need to worry about it falling down on you, the building was built to last. _Link sighed as he got up and began walking toward the temple. "Neil you fool, the fact that you'd tell me that only makes me worry more." he said to the air, making his way up the steps.

Inside, you wouldn't believe this temple was abandoned. The bright white light seemed to come from nowhere, illuminating the angelic white walls. If Link didn't know better, he could swear that the temple had just been built. Stepping across the red carpet, he made his way across the room toward a black marble table. Three slots had been embedded into the strong stone. _There will be a table inside, don't worry about reading the lettering, just put the jewels I gave you in the proper slots. _Carefully, Link lined up each one, making sure they were in properly. Once they were in, they gave off a faint glow. _There's only one step left after that. To open the secret room to the sword, you need to play an ancient melody called the Song of Time. Pay attention, because I'm only going to play it for you once. _Shuffling through his pocket, he took out a gold plated harmonica, his instrument of choice. Pressing it to his mouth, he began to blow out the notes into the air. As he played, time seemed to slow down around him. Finally, as the melody reached completion, the ground began to shake, and the large stone door behind the table began to rise, revealing a hidden room. Making his way up the steps, he slowly entered the room. Unlike the rest of the temple, it was incredibly dark, the only light coming from a window near the ceiling. It illuminated a large platform in the middle of the room, feeding in sunlight from the dark night outside. Stepping into the light, Link could see it, the Master Sword, glistening in the golden light. Stepping up to the pedestal, he cautiously put his hands on the blade. Taking a few deep breaths, he pulled the blade out with all his strength, assuming it would be difficult. The blade, however, slid out very easily, and the force sent Link onto his back, the sword in his hand. Standing up, Link didn't have much time to think before the entire platform was bathed in a deep blue light. Link's breathing got deep, his body heavy. As a bright white light engulfed him, he recalled the last thing Neil had warned him about. _I've heard rumors that the blade is booby trapped, it sends you into a different realm. Listen to me carefully Link, if this turns out to be true you'll need to know this. If it's true, don't panic. There will be beasts there, possessed creatures guarding a prison area. There is a way out, a wayward soul that was wrongfully imprisoned. His name is Ganondorf, find him and free him with the blade, and he will lead you out._ As the white light dissipated from the room, Link had disappeared. A small, dark laugh came from the other room, as Neil made his presence known to the empty room. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me Link. Now go, bring our king back to us."

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Link was unconscious on the floor, the sword still in his hand. He began to stir and stood up, rubbing his head. Looking around, he was in an unfamiliar place. The entire area was a blinding white, it was hardly visible where the floor ended and the wall began. Seeing no other option, he began to walk the unknown halls. There were no real landmarks as he stepped around, simply hallway after hallway. Hearing footsteps other than his own, he froze up. Walking past the next corner was a suit of armor, holding in it's hand a very sharp blade. 'These must be the beasts Neil told me about.' he thought to himself. 'I have to find Ganondorf before I get turned into Link sausage.'

He continued to search for what felt like hours, until finally he discovered a large door, locked with chains. Taking a hairpin out of his side satchel, he began the arduous task ahead of him. Snap after unfortunate snap, all of his pins broke. He sighed and stared at the door, trying to think of what to do next. He put his hand back to rub his head, but his hand instead grasped the hilt of the sword he had been carrying. His mind wandered back to what Neil had told him, and he pulled the sword from his back. Taking it in both hands, he stared at the door. With a deep breath, he swung the sword against the lock, which disintegrated at it's touch. He had to stop for a moment, in awe at the sheer force of a seemingly average blade. Clearly, this sword was the real deal. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the door and into the room that awaited. A man was shackled to the wall, his skin tan and his hair a deep, fiery red. "Who is there?" he asked.

His voice shook Link for a second, but he quickly got over it, stepping forward. "My name is Link, are you the prisoner Ganondorf?"

The man gave a soft chuckle, raising his head to look at Link with tired eyes. "I am indeed. You look very familiar, like a man I met once."

'He must be talking about the hero of time. I bet he was a friend.' the green thief assumed.

"I need your help, I was told you could bring me back from...wherever we are, and get me back to Hyrule."

Ganondorf nodded, smiling. "I can, but I'll need these shackles removed first, if it's not too much trouble."

Link nodded, drawing the master sword again. Ganondorf turned his head away from the blade, not only to avoid the sparks when it clashed with the chain, but to hide the angry look on his face at the sight of the sword. Link broke the first bond, and it disintegrated like the lock had. With the second, the man stood up, chuckling to himself. His laugh turned into an evil cackle as he looked up with demonic eyes. "You fool!" he yelled at the man. "Know this day, for it was the last day the sun will rise in Hyrule."

Link's eyes went wide as he took a step back, surprised by the change in attitude. "What? What are you talking about?"

Ganondorf raised his arm, a dark ball of energy building. Link just stared, paralysed with fear. Ganondorf's laugh was unending as the ball of dark energy flew at it's target. Link covered his face, but to his surprise, he was still alive many moments after. Uncovering his face, he saw a slender figure in front of him, a barrier in front of his savior. The man had his face bandaged, his hands out in front of him. He bore on his chest the mark of the Sheikah, a long dead tribe. Ganondorf glared at the man, his anger rising. "You!"

With the dark energy ball gone, the man turned around to his ally. "You need to get out of here, play the Song of Time again, get yourself back to Hyrule now!"

After a moment of thought, Link pulled his harmonica from his satchel, beginning to play. As he played, an orb of blue energy surrounded him. Ganondorf ran toward him in desperation, diving into the bubble. "No!" he cried, and within moments the two were gone.

Sheik stood in the room, entirely silent. "So," he finally said, "A new hero has awoken."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Link and Ganondorf struggled with each other as the blue light guided them back to Hyrule, and in the panic Link was knocked unconscious. The blue light dropped them back in the Temple of Time, where Neil was waiting for them. Ganondorf rubbed his cheek, where a cut had been placed by the fighter's knife. Neil bowed before the red haired man. "Lord Ganondorf," he said, "Your faithful servant, Neil Williams, at your service. It was I, my lord, and my associates, that tricked this fool into freeing you. We wish only to serve the true throne of Hyrule."

A smile went across Ganondorf's face as he stepped up to the faithful servant. "Very well then, I have a task for you and your associates. Come with me, and get that infernal blade from that fool."

Neil nodded, picking up the sword. "Of course my lord, but shouldn't we simply kill him here?"

"No, he is of no threat without the sword, and with it in our possession, he will not be getting it. It will be a far worse punishment for him to roam the land, knowing the world he will see before him was created by his own hands."

Neil nodded, taking the sword from the unconscious Link, and following behind his new master. A dark storm shrouded the bright moon overlooking the town at that moment, a new era had begun.

_To be continued..._

_From the desk of Hyruler: this idea has been brewing in my head for some time now. Please let me know what you think, good or bad I'd like to hear your criticism. I hope you enjoy this new chapter in Zelda history._


End file.
